Seal



Nov. 8, 1949 W. M. BROOKS SEAL Filed July 25, '1947 M T m V N I ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAL Winfred M. Brooks, West Orange, N. J., assignor to E. J. Brooks Company, Newark, N. J a corporation of New J ersey" Application July 23, 1947, Serial No. 763,005

1 Claim. 1

. cut out of the sheet material and before the parts are bent;

Figure 2 is a sectional view that shows the blank of Figure 1 with the parts bent but before closing the seal;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the seal in closed position;

Figure 4 shows a modification of the invention and is a view looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a sectional view substantially on the plane of line 55 of Figure 4 with the parts bent but before closing the seal; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but with the seal in closed position.

Considering the first form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the seal is of sheet material preferably of sheet metal. The seal is composed of two connected main sections one [0 and the other H lying partially bent toward each other and capable of further bending. Two resilient tongues indicated by l2 and I3 are provided, one, l2, at the free end of and inwardly bent over, said first main section l0, and

the other tongue, 13, at the free end of the second main section II, and lying partially bent and pointing toward the tongue of said first main section. Tongue I2 is provided with a slot l4 and, between said slot and the inwardly extending outer end l2a of said tongue, is provided with an inwardly extending resilient retaining member I5, that lies inwardly over and pointing toward said first main section ID. The other tongue l3, which may be in the form of a piercing member to pass through the substance to which the seal is to be attached is provided near its free end with a latching member l6. After the seal has been blanked out as shown in Figure 1, the parts are bent substantially into the posiattached to the commodity to be sealed, and meat or the like is placed within the main sections and between the two tongues l2 and I3, after which the parts are bent by pressure of the fingers into the position shown in Figure 3, in which it will be observed that tongue l3 has entered into slot [4, has been deflected by engagement with the walls of the slot and with the interior of its non-complementary main section [0 and is brought into a sliclable engagement with retaining member I5, thereby placing the latter under tension or making it into a spring, and said retaining member in turn reacts against tongue I3 and presses the latter into engagement with its non-complementary main section H), the sliding movement of the parts continuing until latching member [6 has passed the lower end of retaining member I5, and whereby also tongue [2 of the first main section. ID will be deflected by said second main section II and both of said tongues l2 and I3 placed under tension. Pressure againstthe outside of main sections Ill and II may now be released and tongue l3 will move backward out of slot l4 until latching member I16 strikes the lower end of retaining member [5, when no further outward movement is possible.

Turning now to the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, it will be seen that the construction is substantially the same as in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, except that the seal here is intended to seal a cord l1 carrying an identification tag I8. The seal here is composed of two main sections l9 and 20, section l9 being provided with a tongue 2|, having a slot 22 and a resilient retaining member 23 that lies bent inwardly over the interior of its complementary main section l9. Main section 20 is provided with a tongue 24, to enter slot 22, having a latching member 25 to engage member 23. In the case of the form shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, it will be noted that main sections l0 and H are devoid of side walls, whereas in the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 to 6, side walls 26 and 21 are provided slightly cut away at the point, 28, of bending the two main sections so as to pinch cord I! in the manner indicated. The closed seal thus produced, as shown in Figure 6, has a completely enclosed structure, whereas the seal shown in Figure 3 has no side walls so as to allow bulky compressible material to extend in between main sections l0 and H, as will be understood.

I claim:

In a sheet-material seal composed of two connected main sections lying partially bent toward each other and capable of further bending, the

combination with the first of said main sections of a resilient tongue at the free end thereof 1ying reversely bent over said first main section, said tongue having a slot and, intermediate said slot and the inwardly extending outer end of said. tongue, having a resilient retaining member that lies inwardly over and pointing toward said first main section; and a second resilient tongue at the free end of the second of said main sections lying partially bent and pointing toward the tongue of said first main section and said second tongue having, near its fre end, a latch member, whereby when the main sections are pressed together the tongue on said second main section will enter the slot of said first main section and will be depressed by engagement with said first main section and will pass between the 4 latter and the retaining member thereby placing said retaining member under tension and bringing said latch member past the inwardly extending outer end of said retaining member, and whereby the tongue of said first main section will be deflected by the second main section, and both of said tongues placed under tension.

WINFRED M. BROOKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,648,152 Schafer Nov. 8, 1927 1,932,101 Dietze Oct. 24, 1933 2,084,668 Brooks June 22, 1937 

